Yes, Eyebrows Grow Back—Here's How to Speed Up the Process

Once and for all.

The era of pencil-thin '90s brows is officially over, but not all eyebrows have recovered just yet. Maybe your arches aren't as full as they used to be, or maybe you're wondering what the difference is between slow regrowth and genuine hair loss. Either way, you've come to the right place.

First things first: don't panic. Brow loss doesn't necessarily mean that regrowth is impossible; moreover, there are some things you can do to speed up the process, especially once you understand the root cause. Ahead, hear from board-certified dermatologists Dendy Engelman and Hadley King, both of whom share advice on how to get your brows back.

Meet Our Expert

• Dendy Engelman, MD, FACMS, FAAD, is a board-certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon at the Shafer Clinic.

• Hadley King, MD, is a New York City-based board-certified dermatologist.

Causes of Brow Loss

There are many things that can contribute to brow hair loss. Dr. Engelman lists the following as the most common causes:

• Overplucking and over tweezing

• Stress and changes to your hormone levels

• Skin conditions such as seborrheic dermatitis and eczema

• Autoimmune conditions such as alopecia and psoriasis

• Diet and lack of essential vitamins and nutrients

• Genetics

Tips

Because there are many causes of brow loss, you'll want to consult a professional to correctly identify why those hairs are getting sparse. A board-certified dermatologist will help come up with the best—and safest—game plan to getting you those full arches.

Do Eyebrows Grow Back?

Brow hair does grow back—for the most part. But there is a chance that it may not, depending on the cause of the hair loss and how much damage was done to the hair follicle. "Tweezing, waxing, or other methods of hair removal over the years can damage hair follicles, preventing regrowth over time," says Dr. King. "The traumatized hair follicles may scar over time, in which case the hair will not grow back."

Dr. Engelman adds that certain auto-immune conditions, hormone imbalances, and medications can also prohibit brows from growing back. She says the follicle must still be present for the hair to have any shot at returning to its full form. If it's there, it can grow back with care and treatment.

How Long Does It Take?

According to Dr. King, healthy brow hair has a growth cycle of about 12 to 16 weeks for a strand to regrow fully. But this still depends on what products you're using and your daily habits.

"The time it takes for brow regrowth largely depends on what treatment, if any, is being used and on the individual themselves," says Dr. Engelman. "People with naturally sparse, thin brows may never achieve complete regrowth or full-looking eyebrows. In general, it can take several weeks to several months for eyebrow hair to visibly grow back."

How to Regrow Eyebrows

Eyebrow growth is similar to the hair on our heads and the rest of our bodies. It consists of three stages: the anagen (growth) phase, the catagen (transition) phase, and the telogen (resting) phase. According to Dr. Engelman, you must stimulate blood, nutrients, and oxygen flow to the follicle to promote healthy hair growth.

To do this, she recommends using topical growth treatments with the right ingredients (more on that later). She adds eating a healthy balanced diet, reducing stress, and avoiding overplucking will prevent hair loss and help maintain full brows.

How to Speed Up Hair Growth

In many instances, there are treatments you can use to improve eyebrow growth. Dr. Engelman says that the most effective topical product is minoxidil. "Minoxidil works by promoting the flow of blood, oxygen, and nutrients to the hair follicle, which in turn improves hair growth," she says. Because the skin around the brows is thinner and more sensitive, she advises doing a patch test first before applying it to your brows.

Dr. King says that Latisse is also a safe and effective treatment for brows as well. It contains the active ingredient bimatoprost, which has been shown to make hair grow longer by lengthening the time the follicle stays in the growth phase.

Best Ingredients for Hair Growth

You can look for other ingredients in products to help promote healthy hair growth. Dr. Engelman says peptides are vital to keeping hair follicles healthy and can help reduce brow hair loss. She also says that ingredients like biotin, keratin, and vitamins A and B can also help stimulate brow hairs and keep them healthy.

If you don't want harsh chemicals on such a sensitive area, you can also turn to various oils. Though Dr. Engelman and Dr. King say that more studies need to be done to say that these oils stimulate hair growth definitively, they agree that using coconut, tea tree, and castor oil could be beneficial.

"I am not aware of any real data to support the efficacy of these treatments, but I do think that the emollient properties of these oils may be helpful if the brows are becoming brittle and broken," says Dr. King. She says these oils are not damaging to the hair; at the very least, they can condition your brows—which is always a plus.

The Takeaway

Chances are high your brows will grow back. If the hair follicles aren't completely damaged or lost, plenty of topical products can help stimulate growth. Just be sure to consult a medical professional for the best course of action, and you'll be on your way to a full set of brows in no time.